Python Getting console output when there is no console

[Python] Getting console output when there is no console - Printable Version

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Getting console output when there is no console - Rorikstead - Feb 17, 2015

The title might be kind of confusing, I apologize for that.

So basically, I'm trying to get the output of a cmd command that's run through a python script.

I know there are a few ways to do this, like subprocess.check_output, subprocess.Popen, etc. But everything I've tried so far does NOT work when my file is converted to a 'console-less' executable. It will always return an empty string.

Is there any way I can get the output of the console command without actually showing a console on-screen?

Thanks everyone.

* - bytecoder - Feb 17, 2015

Maybe you can save the output to a file and retrieve the data through it?

Can you provide some code to look further into the problem?

* - Rorikstead - Feb 17, 2015

(Feb 17, 2015 06:59 AM)bytecoder Wrote: Maybe you can save the output to a file and retrieve the data through it?

Can you provide some code to look further into the problem?

Thanks, this could possibly be what I'm looking for, I'll test it out and get back to you.

And here is the code:

Code 
serial = check_output(["wmic","csproduct","get","UUID"])[41:77]

print serial

Works fine in the interpreter, but as soon as I disable that window from appearing, check_output() as well as everything else I've tried, just returns ''.

* - bytecoder - Feb 17, 2015

The easiest would be just save it to a file and read it. Simple. Fast.

There is a very good tutorial for IO:

tutorialspoint.com/python/python_files_io.htm

* - Rorikstead - Feb 17, 2015

(Feb 17, 2015 07:23 AM)bytecoder Wrote: The easiest would be just save it to a file and read it. Simple. Fast.

There is a very good tutorial for IO:

tutorialspoint.com/python/python_files_io.htm

The issue is that there is nothing to save.

When I run any sort of command without a console window, the output is always an empty string.
I need a way to get the output of the command, without having a console screen show up.

* - bytecoder - Feb 17, 2015

Then there is something wrong with your output in general.

If you have

Code 
serial = check_output(["wmic","csproduct","get","UUID"])[41:77]

you will get some information, which you can save. When you get an empty string, then there is something else bad.

* - Rorikstead - Feb 17, 2015

(Feb 17, 2015 07:39 AM)bytecoder Wrote: Then there is something wrong with your output in general.

If you have

Code
serial = check_output(["wmic","csproduct","get","UUID"])[41:77]

you will get some information, which you can save. When you get an empty string, then there is something else bad.

I do, normally.
I'm using pyinstaller to compile this script into an exe, and there is an option to disable the console window. Once it is disabled, check_output() no longer returns anything. I can run the same exact executable with a console window, and it'll work.

I think I may have found a way around this though, I'll post my code if it does end up working correctly.

[EDIT]
I have found a solution! It's not the cleanest, but it does the job. If anyone can find a better way to do this please let me know.

Code 
call('wmic csproduct get UUID > '+ uuidpath, shell=True)

f = open(uuidpath,"r")

utfData = f.read()

f.close()

serial = str(utfData.decode('utf-16-le').split()[1])

Explanation

Code 
call('wmic csproduct get UUID > '+ uuidpath, shell=True)

Calls the command and sticks the output in my previously defined uuidpath. Note that putting the output into a file is actually part of the command, instead of part of the python script.

Code 
f = open(uuidpath,"r")

utfData = f.read()

f.close()

This opens the file that the output was stored in, and reads it, saving the info to utfDada.

Code 
serial = str(utfData.decode('utf-16-le').split()[1])

The text is actually stored in a UTF-16 format by the console, so here we decode it and store the relevant information (the serial number) in serial.

* - MR.FREE - Feb 18, 2015

why not just make it a function that returns a value? that what you want right, one function to take output from another?

Code 
def func()

      do

      return did

* - bytecoder - Feb 18, 2015

MR.FREE is right.

Rorikstead if you can provide me your whole code, I can look over it and maybe fix things right.

(But I still like it very much, how you solved it. )

* - Rorikstead - Feb 18, 2015

(Feb 18, 2015 09:52 AM)MR.FREE Wrote: why not just make it a function that returns a value? that what you want right, one function to take output from another?

Code
def func() do return did

Because the command isn't within python, I'm trying to get the output of a command that I sent to the windows console.

There are modules to check the output of a command like that, but none of them work when there is no python window visible.

I'm sorry that I can't explain it very well, the code is kind of complicated.
But trust me, if it were as easy as you said, it would've been the first thing I tried!

(Feb 18, 2015 09:58 AM)bytecoder Wrote: MR.FREE is right.

Rorikstead if you can provide me your whole code, I can look over it and maybe fix things right.

(But I still like it very much, how you solved it. )

Thanks for the help, but I have it all figured it.

* - MR.FREE - Feb 18, 2015

(Feb 17, 2015 06:46 AM)Rorikstead Wrote: The title might be kind of confusing, I apologize for that.

So basically, I'm trying to get the output of a cmd command that's run through a python script.

Code 
#!/usr/bin/python

import sys

def func(x):

    for arg in sys.argv:

      print arg

func(sys.argv)

console

Code 
mrfree@orphan:~/Desktop/Scripts % python consoleargs.py butt plug help

consoleargs.py

butt

plug

help

mrfree@orphan:~/Desktop/Scripts %

Im confused as to what your doing tho, if you want the output of a cmd to be stored I would do it in a function using sys instead of a file, unless your taking in databases thru the cmd then I would use a file(no I would use a database module like pySQL or something)

* - Rorikstead - Feb 20, 2015

(Feb 18, 2015 01:05 PM)MR.FREE Wrote: #!

Code
#!/usr/bin/python import sys def func(x): for arg in sys.argv: print arg func(sys.argv)
console

Code
mrfree@orphan:~/Desktop/Scripts % python consoleargs.py butt plug help consoleargs.py butt plug help mrfree@orphan:~/Desktop/Scripts %

Im confused as to what your doing tho, if you want the output of a cmd to be stored I would do it in a function using sys instead of a file, unless your taking in databases thru the cmd then I would use a file(no I would use a database module like pySQL or something)

It's more like this.

Say I want to run the command 'ipconfig' like in a cmd window.
I could do os.system('ipconfig') which would work fine.

Now let's say I want to get the output of that command. os.system() will not provide that. And things like subprocess.check_output() only work if the python console is visible, and in my case it is not.

Again, sorry for being confusing. I really wasn't sure how to word my problem.

* - MR.FREE - Feb 21, 2015

Thanks for clarifying. I see what the problem is now, let me know if you find a working solution plz. Thanks

Edit:

Maybe something like this, we can also set it up so you can view while its running etc...

Code 
import subprocess

def cmd():

      cmd = raw_input("Please Input cmd: ")

      subprocess.call("%s > out.txt" % cmd, shell = True)

      with open("/usr/home/mrfree/Desktop/Scripts/out.txt","r") as log:

      print log.read()

if __name__ == "__main__":

      cmd()

If that didn't get it, let me know and I'll try to help you figure it out if you want

* - Rorikstead - Feb 22, 2015

(Feb 21, 2015 12:05 PM)MR.FREE Wrote: Thanks for clarifying. I see what the problem is now, let me know if you find a working solution plz. Thanks

Edit:

Maybe something like this, we can also set it up so you can view while its running etc...

Code
import subprocess def cmd(): cmd = raw_input("Please Input cmd: ") subprocess.call("%s > out.txt" % cmd, shell = True) with open("/usr/home/mrfree/Desktop/Scripts/out.txt","r") as log: print log.read() if __name__ == "__main__": cmd()

If that didn't get it, let me know and I'll try to help you figure it out if you want

Aha! That code is exactly perfect. Thanks for putting your own time into this, your code does exactly what I was looking for!

A very elegant solution indeed. Definitely solves the problem I was having.

I declare this thread, closed!